Stems are used in prosthetic joint implants to anchor the implant in a bone cavity. The bone for receiving the stem is typically prepared by drilling a hole in the bone and creating an opening sized and contoured to receive the stem of the implant. The stem is inserted into a prepared cavity of a bone and a joint bearing surface attached or coupled to the stem, extends out to the cavity. Many stems are fluted, i.e., they have distally extending longitudinal grooves in the stems that provide greater stability and anchoring of the stem once it is inserted into the prepared cavity.
Typically, once a fluted stem is inserted into a prepared cavity, it is extremely difficult to rotate the stem to properly reorient it. In order to do so the stem must be removed and reinserted which can damage bone and increase operative time. Typically, the stem is aligned by marking the bone and the stem and using the marks to align the stem with respect to the bone. The drawback to this method is the potential imprecision in the alignment. Because the landmark on the stem and bone are not in close proximity to each other, parallax and other problems associated with alignment by eye may result. Also, the stem may move from its aligned position as it is inserted.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for aligning a fluted stem of an orthopedic implant prior to and as it is being inserted into a prepared bone cavity.